Cable thieves emerge from the shadows

KUALA LUMPUR: Once content with operating under cover of darkness, cable thieves are becoming increasingly brazen, stripping valuable copper from the nation's infrastructure in broad daylight — sometimes in full view of passing motorists and residents. What was once associated with secluded railway tracks and poorly guarded infrastructure has evolved into organised operations targeting telecommunications networks, electricity installations and other public utilities.

The growing audacity was laid bare last Friday when four masked men used vehicles to pull out underground cables in Kampung Melayu Panchor, Seremban, around noon. The incident, captured on video, led to the arrest of 14 people, including two women.

Beyond the brazen nature of the thefts lies a much larger concern: the systematic targeting of critical infrastructure amounts to economic sabotage. While thieves may walk away with copper worth thousands of ringgit, operators face millions in repair costs, service interruptions and damaged equipment.

Seremban police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Yatim Osman said the suspects, aged 22 to 67, were detained in Labu and Nilai in Negri Sembilan and Dengkil in Selangor. Police also seized five cars, cable-cutting equipment and three sacks of burnt copper wires.

Investigators believe the arrests solved several cable theft cases in Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Kedah and Melaka.

The burnt copper wires highlighted an important aspect of the illicit trade — processing before sale. Syndicates strip insulation and remove identifying markings before selling to scrap metal dealers, making it difficult to trace the metal once it enters the recycling supply chain.

This is what makes it difficult for law enforcement to take stern action against scrap metal dealers. Without a confession, it would be difficult to tie them to stolen cables.

The financial incentive is substantial. Copper prices in Malaysia vary by purity, grade and market conditions. Clean, stripped copper commands considerably more than insulated cables or mixed metal scrap.

Demand is driven by expanding networks, renewable energy installations, data centres and the electric vehicle (EV) industry. Data centres require extensive cabling and transformers, while EVs generally use substantially more copper than petrol vehicles.

In Malaysia copper is priced at RM56 to RM60 per kilogramme.

Prasarana Malaysia Bhd previously revealed that syndicates used hollow sections of elevated Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) viaducts as temporary hideouts.

Its group chief health, safety, security, environment and sustainable development officer Idzqandar Abu Bakar said some intruders hid inside the structures for two or three days.

"They come out at certain times to climb onto the tracks to cut cables," he said.

Cable theft incidents increased from 42 cases in 2024 to 72 last year.

Idzqandar said the criminals had become more sophisticated, moving beyond earthing cables to target live electrical and signalling cables.

He said syndicates could make between RM50,000 and RM100,000 from stolen components in a single night.

Railway infrastructure is no longer the only major target. Telecommunications cables buried beneath roads and in residential areas, as well as electricity infrastructure, have increasingly attracted syndicates.

Several cable thefts involving MRT, KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit services have forced temporary service adjustments.

The persistence of such crimes despite repeated arrests has raised questions over whether current enforcement and penalties are sufficient.

Kuala Lumpur police recorded 205 cable theft cases last year, resulting in 171 arrests, while another 71 cases and 85 arrests were recorded between January and May.

With syndicates increasingly prepared to operate in broad daylight, tackling the problem may require authorities to look beyond those caught physically cutting cables. The wider criminal supply chain — organisers, processors and buyers of copper of questionable origin — remains crucial.

Unless the market for stolen copper is disrupted, cable theft risks remaining a lucrative criminal enterprise.

The New Straits Times has contacted Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk M. Kumar and is awaiting his response.